The pavement alongside Louis Botha Avenue, near 2nd street, has been impossible to walk along following structural collapse that occurred on 6 September last year.
The structural collapse happened at 7am on 6 September when a taxi bumped another taxi which had lost control knocking over four pillars holding up a sign and railing which in turn crushed another vehicle and injuring 17 people, who were transported to Busa Med Clinic and Charlette Maxeke Hospital for treatment.
After six months, the pavement alongside Louis Botha Avenue remains filled with debris from the accident. Bent metal and large shards of concrete cover the pavement forcing pedestrians to walk on the road or on top of the debris.
Read: Structural collapses in Orange Grove
Spokesperson for the Johannesburg Road Agency Bertha Peters-Scheepers said that when a pavement is inaccessible to pedestrians the agency will usually determine whether that part of the road belongs to the private owner of the building or if it is part of the JRA road reserve.
The North Eastern Tribune visited the scene on 21 February and entered the tavern where the debris is lying. The tavern, which has an entrance blocked by shards of concrete, looked fully operational but the owner was unavailable for an interview.
Scheepers said that the JRA will send an investigator to look into the situation and to evaluate who will need to clean up the debris and whether other authorities will need to get involved.
Spokesperson for Metro Police, Chief superintendent Wayne Minnaar said, “If it is found out that the pavement falls under private property then the property owner must remove the rubble and fix the pavement. Additionally, if the property owner wishes to claim from the taxi drivers they must make a civil case.”
This is a developing story and updates will follow.
Details: www.jra.org.za
What do you think of rubble not being removed? Share your views by emailing us at tribune@caxton.co.za
